For those of you who aren’t aware, audiobook narrator extraordinaire Johnny Heller hosts a workshop to coincide with the annual Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) and The Audies, which is like the Oscars but for audiobooks. It’s a full day of panels and live coaching covering everything from narrating fiction vs. non-fiction to the business-end of the audiobook industry.

TIP OF THE WEEK

What did I learn at Johnny Heller’s 3rd Annual Splendiferous Narrator Workshop?

I can’t share any specific tidbits because that’s for the folks who paid to attend. What I can share is that the workshop reinforced three things for me:

Audiobook narration is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, energy, stamina, and patience. You can’t half-ass an audiobook performance.

The best audiobook narrators are good actors, good students, and good listeners. Listening is everything. You need to listen to the story, the author’s message, the tone, the speed, your performance, and a myriad of other things.

No one is a naturally great audiobook narrator. Talent is the minimum requirement. You need training and need lots of practice. You need to find the truth of every moment in the story, not fixate on how you think you need to sound to achieve a desired effect. Remember: it’s not about you.

NEWS AND NOTES

My next Edge Studio “Business and money 201” webinar will be Thursday, June 15th @8PM EST. The subject: Keeping Clients Coming Back. We’re gonna talk about not just the finer points of client retention but the most important part: good communication. Click here to sign up.

FaffCon registration is this week! This year preferential treatment will be give to first and second-time Faffers and attendance is capped at 150 instead of 100. Click here to get in on the Faff-action.

HAPPY HAPPYS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.

Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice OverStrategist, and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.